Zalan and Rep made their way back to the healing tent, hoping to find Nold before their first fights.

“What are we going to do?” Rep asked, his arms gesturing more than his words called for.

“About what?” Zalan asked, confused by his agitation.

“The bracket combination! We will go up against people much stronger than us!”

“Nold taught us that we should be able to take on people at a higher Level than us,” Zalan offered.

“He says that but have you gone up against someone with higher Wisdom? Nold hit me once with water and that was enough to feel the chasm of power between us. What if we are up against a Level 10 on our first bouts?” Rep asked.

“I don’t know, what are we supposed to do?” Zalan asked. He sounded nonchalant in his question, but he was equally nervous.

He had been passively looking around for Madam Hikma to try and fast-track the process of confronting her, but that idea had been somewhat buried in his mind. The anger and betrayal he felt toward her had shifted. It still brewed beneath the surface, but it was morphing into a general anger toward being stuck in the realm. A constant, burning frustration toward the unfairness of being dragged away from his home. Madam Hikma was a microcosm of him being stuck. If he had never come here, he never would have been betrayed by her.

Someone bumped into his shoulder as they walked toward the tent, pushing him hard. Zalan turned around to look at the petty assailant only to be met with a sickeningly passive face looking back. Slauson. Slauson looked as though he was going to apologize, then shook his head and continued on his way. Zalan’s anger almost immediately redirected its way to Slauson like a compass. He wanted to see the guy’s face humiliated after losing a match. All his dreams dashed away by some random stranger. Zalan wanted to tower over him and laugh while Slauson cried in shock. Zalan wanted to win the tournament.

Winning used to feel like a secondary goal, it was enough to just participate and try out his new powers. But the simple hand-to-hand combat training wasn’t enough for him anymore. He was playing to win. He wanted to show Slauson and everyone in this world that they were outclassed by someone that wasn’t even from the realm. A revenge for them being a part of the thing that trapped him here.

As Zalan stewed over these thoughts, Rep continued to panic and stumble over his concerns.

“My shoulder! The whole point of me not going out and trying to kill enough monsters to gain a Level overnight was so that I could remain in the Level 5 and Under bracket, but now… what a mistake! I should have known that it would be worth the healing! I have been so foolish,” Rep lamented.

“What if it took too long and you came to the tournament all exhausted? Too tired to fight?” Zalan asked.

“I do not know! That may have been better than this! I thought… I just…” Rep completed no more thoughts.

They made it to the tent just as Nold was delivering the last of the injured people. Zalan blinked as he saw the state the person was in. Their skin was somewhat reddish at the fingertips. His mom had once taught him about frostbite before and this looked like the first stage, called frostnip. Frostnip on a hot day in the middle of a canyon. It didn’t make any sense to Zalan.

“What are you doing back here?” Nold asked them, looking concerned as he exited the tent.

“We were looking for any tips on taking people at a higher Level,” Zalan replied.

“The brackets have been combined!” Rep said more urgently.

“No, I mean to say what are you doing here?” Nold emphasized. “You should be at the arena! The first battle starts soon! If your name is called and you do not show, then you forfeit!”

“But what do we…”

“No time for questions! My students do not forfeit! Get to the ring! Go!” Nold ushered them away with quick flicks of his hands.

Zalan and Rep were going to try and say something more, but Nold spun the earth from under them and turned them toward the arena. With a light push on their backs, he got them moving. He kept behind them, hands raised and threatening to push them if they walked too slow.

“How were the people? Did the injuries look bad?” Zalan asked over his shoulder.

“I tried to assess what happened to them, but could not glean any information. They are in good care with Doctor Quill. I think they will be fine,” Nold replied.

“What are we to do against Level 10 opponents?” Rep asked Nold nervously. He had completely turned around to talk to him, but kept walking backward.

“What makes you believe you will only be up against Level 10 opponents?” Nold asked.

“We are in a combined Level 10 and Under bracket! I did not want to be outclassed before we even started,” Rep said.

Nold scoffed.

“Just do exactly what you have learned and you will do well. Do not forget my training,” Nold said simply.

Rep finally turned away from Nold and walked with his head down.

“Hey, Rep, earlier when we were showing Umdarr our Level, you covered the lower half of your arm to cover your Elemental stat. Why was that?” Zalan asked.

“Well done,” Nold nodded approvingly before Rep could respond.

“We have been told that it is best to keep our skills secret in the ring, yes?” Rep proposed. “I did not want to give any unnecessary information to someone who we are unfamiliar with. Umdarr looked reasonable enough, but he did not protest to me covering the information, so I believe it is an expected practice.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“So we need to stay as stealthy as possible in the ring?” Zalan asked. “I’m not supposed to shoot any lighting? Just stay invisibly imbued?”

“That would be ideal,” Nold nodded.

“Because otherwise people will be able to plan according to your Element’s strengths and weaknesses. It is something I will have to deal with quickly, as I have come nowhere near close enough to mastering imbuing as you have,” Rep said. He twisted his injured shoulder, as though adding that he would have to use his power sooner because of his limitations.

“Right. I guess that makes sense,” Zalan said.

The arena felt much larger once they were up close. It was elevated higher than Zalan was tall and he could now see the etched symbols up close. As Zalan walked along the side of the arena, he saw that the symbols represented different Elementals. Fire, Water, Lightning, Darkness, Plant, Ice, Light, Earth and more. The arena was an homage to the original creators of the Elemental Rage Tournament. Zalan ran his finger over the jagged symbol of lightning and wondered whether an Elemental Earth user etched these into the stone arena or if they used regular tools. The more Zalan saw people using their powers casually outside of battle, the more he wondered how much of the world ran off of their powers. He also wondered if his power would ever have the same benefits when the world lacked electricity.

To Zalan and Rep’s surprise, they saw Umdarr on top of the arena. He was somehow there before them and already situated to start the tournament. He was looking out proudly to the crowd of raucous fans, waving to them all jovially. He seemed the most excited about the event. As soon as he spotted Zalan, he ran over to him and kneeled at the edge of the arena.

“Do not sit down in the stadium. You will be fighting first, and it is best not to leave this audience waiting for the first bout,” Umdarr told him.

“What? Are… are you sure? I wanted to see a fight first. I don’t think I’m ready to go right now, I—”

“If you do not enter the ring when I call your name, you will forfeit,” Umdarr announced matter-of-factly, running back to the center of the arena.

Rep placed an arm on Zalan’s shoulder.

“I believe in you. More than I believe in myself,” Rep said.

“I don’t think that’s a really high bar,” Zalan replied.

Rep replied by patting Zalan on the shoulder and nodding with a smile.

“I will cheer you on from the stands. Show them I have not misplaced my trust,” Rep said confidently.

Zalan looked to Nold for last words of encouragement.

“No mercy… unless they yield,” Nold said simply, heading off to the rock-built stands with Rep.

Zalan breathed deeply, trying to keep himself calm in the face of the incoming battle. He looked around, trying to distract himself. The stadium surrounded the arena like a coliseum, holding more people than Zalan had ever seen in this world. Hundreds of spectators yelled and cheered for the tournament to begin. Umdarr was raising his hands high, getting the crowd to cheer loudly as he increased the hype. Then, he lowered his hands smoothly, causing them to quiet down. He cupped his hands together over his mouth and breathed in deeply.

“Listen up!” Umdarr called blaringly.

His voice filled the stadium. It sounded like a loudspeaker. Zalan was surprised how loud he was, and realized the man had an Elemental Air ability that he was using to amplify his voice. That must have been how he got to the stadium so fast. He boosted himself with air at his back. Or even jumped in, if he was a high enough Level.

“I am only going to go over the rules once. Failure to fight by the rules will result in immediate disqualification! Hand-to-hand combat and Elemental abilities are the only permitted forms of attack. The use of outside weapons or Artifacts is strictly prohibited. Participants must not attempt to kill their opponents during the bouts. The focus should be on incapacitating or disabling them. Any Elemental attacks targeting the head are considered deliberately fatal blows and are strictly prohibited. Violators will face immediate disqualification as well as punishment. Punishment can range from being jailed in the nearest town to something more severe.”

Umdarr let his words settle into people’s minds. The large crowd was silent and attentive. He continued,

“Each bout will take place within the designated arena. Being knocked outside of an arena is considered a loss condition, even if you quickly recover. Deliberately removing yourself from the arena counts as a forfeiture. In addition, participants and viewers must adhere to the decisions made by the tournament official. This year, we have Madam Hikma residing, holding the prize of 10 gold coins and a Reversal Stone for the Level 10 and Under bracket.

“In order to win a bout, one can knock out their opponent. One can force their opponent off of the arena. One can force their opponent to submit by any non-lethal submission techniques. One can win by means of an Elemental Overwhelm, making their opponent trapped in so much Elemental Power that they are unable to respond with any force. If you remain unmoving on the ground for ten seconds, even if you are still conscious, you will be considered defeated. Participants may forfeit at any time by simply stating ‘I yield.’”

Umdarr let the crowd absorb the set of rules and win conditions for a minute. The mention of no Artifacts reminded Zalan to place the pouch with the Homeseeker at the side of the arena, concerned he might accidentally take it and lose the match over a stupid mistake. Umdarr waited until the crowd began murmuring amongst themselves, the restlessness of waiting creeping over the spectators. He held his arms wide, spinning around in place to address the audience surrounding him. With business out of the way, he looked much more excited.

“Are we ready to begin the Elemental Rage Tournament?”

The audience exploded in approval, chanting for it to begin.

“Then let us bring our first contestants in the Elemental Rage Tournament!”

The crowd somehow roared even louder. Zalan watched in awe at how Umdarr controlled the audience with such charisma. It made sense as to why he was both an organizer and announcer. Umdarr pulled out a parchment to read from as he announced the first fighter.

“On this end of the arena, coming in with a Level of 6 is the man of Lawless Legacy… Leon!!” Umdarr spun and pointed to the side of the ring opposite to Zalan.

As the fighter approached the arena, Zalan realized that he never gave a title to Umdarr during registration. Nold must have put in the titles for his students when registering them. He hoped he got a good one.

A young man with a set, angry face and muscly arms stepped forward. He cheered and had the audience clamoring for his attention.

“Leon! Leon! Leon!”

With some flair, Umdarr placed the first parchment back in his pocket and pulled out another as he turned to Zalan.

“And on this end! At Level 5! The Dealer of Dragon Death… Zandar!” Umdarr said with similar gravitas.

Zalan sighed heavily, realizing that the reason Umdarr didn’t say his name was because Nold registered on his behalf. Zandar sounded just like something Nold would call him. It was upsetting how annoying the name issue was becoming. But he knew how to direct his anger these days. It was a tool. And as he stepped up to the arena, Zalan decided that Leon was a great target for his anger for the next few minutes.

“Before we begin, show your opponent some respect,” Umdarr said.

Zalan grew warm and embarrassed, not sure what he was supposed to do. Leon punched a fist into an open palm in front of his chest. Zalan quickly copied him, trying to look as sincere as possible. The audience seemed to appreciate the display and began applauding. Zalan could feel just how antsy they were. They were ready to cheer and clap their hands at anything they saw happening in the arena.

Zalan began trembling as he stood in place, locking eyes with Leon. Adrenaline pumped through his body and his heart jumped into his throat, a mountain of anxieties making themselves known throughout his body. All the training came down to this fight. He could be struck out by a single punch in his first bout if he wasn’t careful. He swallowed hard, sweat sprinkling on his head and his tongue dry. “Nervous” couldn’t even begin to describe how he was feeling.

Umdarr ran off the edge of the arena and leaped to remove himself from the battlefield with flair. He summoned Elemental Air to slow his descent as he left the fighting floor. Midair, he spun around and screamed,

“Begin the match! Begin the tournament!”